Half to orrin s



A. D. ALDEN. GAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

No. 533,026. Patented Jan. 22, 1895.

HVVENTOH .BY J) WITNESSES: 8 $1. 4 C) A7TORNEXS.

m: yonms FETERS 20.. Puo'roLrrHa. WASHINGTON/D15.

ANDREW D. ALDEN, OF BROOKPORT, FENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TOORRIN S. WINSLOW, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

EPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,026, dated January22, 1895. Application filed August 24, 1894- Serial No. 521,161- (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW D. ALDEN, of

Brockport, in the county of Elk and State of Pennsylvania,have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved car coupling of the hook and linktype, and has for its object to provide acar coupling of the classindicated, with novel features of construction that adapt it for aconvenient and reliable adjustment of working parts from either side ofa car whereon the improvement 7 drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both of the views shown. a

Figure 1 is an. end view of a car body in part, and of the improved carcoupling connected to a link shownjin transverse section; and Fig. 2 isa sectional side elevation on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, showing by dottedand full lines different positions of adjustment of Workin g parts.

The drawhead 10, is'located at the transverse center of the car body, onits sill frame 11 as usual, and may be attached to the latter by anypreferred means which will secure the coupling in place and adapt it forefiective service.

The forward portion of the drawhead is laterally and vertically enlargedas compared with the main portion of its body,'and..from the front endis rectangularly chambered as at 10, said chamber having a sufficientdepth and transverse dimensions to freely permit the insertion of anordinary elongated coupling link 12, partly shown in Fig. and tofacilitate the introduction of the link the mouth of the drawhead isflared considerably between its top and lower walls, and the marginalcorners of said mouth are rounded as is indicated in the drawings.

At a correct distance from the front edge of the drawhead an uprightbracket block 13 .is formed or secured on the upper side of the same,which block is afiorded a height and width which will adapt it toreceive and sustain other parts of the coupling, and to facilitate sucha support of parts the bracket block is recessed at the front a correctdepth and breadth, leaving two upright parallel side walls 13 and arearwardly and downwardly inclined top' cross wall 13 At the transversecenter a slot is formed in thetop wall of the drawhead, which slotextends from a point near the rear wall of the recess in the bracketblock 13, through the front edge of the wall-it bisects.

The lateral dimension of the longitudinal slot in the top'wall of thedrawhead, is proportioned so as to permit the heavy latch 14: to beintroduced between and pivoted on the portions of the drawhead top wallthat remain at each side of the slot above mentioned. The

latch is of such width or thickness as adapts it to looselyfit in theslot it occupies, its hook portion 14: that projects downwardly at aproper distance from the front end of the latch being produced by thejunction at their base of two converging transverse walls, the wall atthe rear of the hook being nearly vertical and the front cross wallbeing sloped from the upper edge on the front end of the body of thelatch downward and rearward.

The point of pivotal connection of the latch is near the front end ofits body above and in advance of the nose on the hook the pivot bolt 15passing through aligned perfo rations transversely formed in thedrawhead and latch as is indicated in Fig. 2.

A rearwardly and downwardly inclined too 14 is formed on the otherwiselevel lower side of the latch body 14, behind the hookl l this too beingadapted to have contact with the top face of an inserted link 12 at itsrear end, which will impose the main portion of Weight possessed by thelatch body on the link, and hold said link level when so engaged andforwardly projected in advance of the drawhead, to enter anotherdrawhead.

The upper side of the latch body 14, mainly conforms in shape with thatof the top wall of the drawhead, with the exception that alongitudinally extending rib 14 is formed on said side of the body 14 atits transverse center. A lifting link 16 is provided, which is furcatedto produce two parallel limbs on its lower portion, which limbs thatloosely receive the rib 14 between them, have a pivotal connection withit by means of the pintle 16 as shown in Fig. 2. The upper edge of therib 141 is notched rearwardly of the link 16, so as to produce ashoulder la that will check the rearward rocking movement of the linkwhen its rear edge that is immediately above the furcation, impingessaid shoulder. On each side of the rib 14 the material of the latch bodyis cut away, terminating in two similar inclined shoulders 14, thatlimit the forward vibration of the upper end of the furcated link, whenthe limbs of the link have contact with said shoulders. The upper end ofthe lifting link 16 is adapted to rock below the inclined top wall 13 ofthe recess in the bracket block 13, when permitted to do so, which willlock the latch hook in depressed adjustment.

On the end wall of the car body whereon the improvement is placed, arock shaft 17 is transversely supported and held by the bracket boxes18, which are loosely fitted on the shaft body so that the latter may belongitudinally moved and also rocked, said boxes being attached to thecar so as to maintain the shaft horizontally disposed. The rock shafthas the handle arms 17 formed on or secured to its ends, which armsextend in the same direction and occupy the same plane.

At a suitable point between the ends of the rock shaft 17 an arm 19 isprojected from the shaft, preferably in the same plane with the handlearms, and for efficiency in service the intermediate arm is furnishedwith a longitudinally adjustable extension arm 19, that is held inassured connection with the main portion of the arm by a clip band 20having a set screw 20, which band envelops the two parts of the arm, andholds them firmly clamped at any desired point, when the screw 20 isadjusted to bear on the arm 19.

A chain 21 or other substantial flexible connection of proper length, issecured at one end to the link 16 at its front edge above the limbs ofsaid link, the other end of the flexible connection being attached tothe extension arm 19 at its outer end.

On the rock shaft 17 a rest block 22 is mounted, this block having atransverse perforation in its body to permit the shaft to pass throughit, the block also having a flange thereon which is perforated for thereception of screws that secure it to the end wall of the car.

Two step-like projections 22,

are

part arin must be rocked upwardly by manipulating. either of the handlepieces 17 to effect its location on an appropriate step.

In operation, if the improved car coupling is to be coupled with asimilar device on an approaching car, the link 12 is inserted and heldprojected so as to enter the throat of the drawhead which is to receiveit. To adapt the latch hook on the link receiving drawhead to rock onits pivot bolt and hook fast' to the link end that enters the drawhead,the

operator sets the link 16 in an upright position, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2, by

locating the arm 19 at its heel on the offset step 22 of the rest block22. This will project the two part arm forwardly in a nearly levelposition, which will draw on the chain connection 21, sufficiently tolocate the link in the position mentioned. When the. link 16 is adjustedas has been explained, its upper end will be removed from the top walll3 on the block 13, which will allow the latch hook to be lifted, andthelink 12 to enter the drawhead recess for a coupled engagement withsaid latch hook, that is rendered secure if the rock shaft is drawnendwise so as to remove the lifting arm 19 from the step 22 and permitthe handle arms by their gravity together with the weight of the twopart lifting arm, to dispose the latter in a downwardly inclinedposition, thus slackening the chain 21 and leaving the link 16 free torock backward below the top wall 13 Vhen'two of the improved couplingsare to be released from a coupled condition, the rock shaft 17 isadjusted so as to locate the liftingarm 19 on the upper step 22 of theblock 22, which will so elevate the arm that the attached chain 21 willby its attachment to the link 16, lift the latter considerably, and asthis upward and forward lifting movement will draw the rear end of thelatch hook upwardly, a release of the coupling link 12 will be effected,as is also shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

By making the lifting arm 19 in two parts so as to permit it to beadjusted for length, the degree of elevation necessary for the re leaseof the link 16, and latch 14; can readily be produced without alteringthe length of the chain 21.

It is claimed for this improved car coup ling, that it is simple,inexpensive, easy to construct and reliable in operation, preventingaccident to an operator either in coupling or releasing cars having theimprovement; and an incidental advantage is, that as the ordinarycoupling link is employed a coupled connection with a common drawhead ispermitted, so that the improvement may be used along with the ordinarylink and pin car coupling when this is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. The combination of a draw-head, having a recessadapted to receive a coupling link,

IIO

a latch hook pivoted in said recess and having at its rear end adepending nose adapted to engage the said link when the same is in placein the draw-head, and a link pivotally connected at one end to the endof said latch hook beyond said nose, and having its other end adapted toengage the wall of said recess in the draw head, whereby said latch hookis locked to the draw head substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a draw-head having a recess adapted to receive acoupling link, a latch hook pivoted in said recess and provided with adepending nose adapted to engage the coupling-link when the same is inplace in the drawhead, a gravity link pivoted to said latch-hook andadapted normally to lock the same against movement, and a liftin gdevice connected to said link and adapted to lift the same and unlockthe latch hook, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a recessed drawhead slotted in its top wall, andhaving an upright projection behind the slot, of a gravity latch hookpivoted in the slot in front of its depending nose, and a device adaptedby gravity to lock on the-drawhead projection and hold the latch hook,and release said hook when lifted to clear said projection,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with aforwardly recessed drawhead, having its topwall slotted from the front edge rearward, and having an upwardprojection that inclines forwardly on saidtop wall at the rear end ofthe slot, of a gravity latch hook pivoted in the slot in front of itsdepending nose, a link pivoted on the the drawhead and hold the latchhook de- I pressed, and a device on the car adapted for actuation fromeither side of the car, and which will forwardly rock the link torelease it and the latch hook, substantially as described.

\ 6. The combination, with a recessed and top slotted drawhead, having arecessed bracket block on its top at the rear end of the slot, agravitylatch having a depending hook-nose and pivoted in the slot in advance ofsaid nose, a lifting link pivoted on the latch hook behind the hooknose, and adapted to rock rearward below the top wall of the recessedbracket block, and an elongated c0upling link, of a'coupling linkreleasing device, comprising the rock shaft on the car, an extensiblearm on said shaft, the stepped block on the shaft and car and adaptedfor engagement by the lifting arm, and a flexible connection between thearm and lifting link, substantially as described.

ANDREW D. ALDEN.

Witnesses:

ALONZO S. HORTON, CHARLES L. CHAMBERLIN.

